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April 25th, 2009
German Salazar, a top prone shooter and contributor to AccurateShooter.com and DesertSharpshooters.com, has crafted an excellent article on stock design. Writing for Precision Shooting magazine, German compares traditional stocks, such as the MasterClass Prone, with more modern, modular designs, such as the Eliseo TubeGun and Ross Precision stock. German, who shoots match rifles built with each type of stock, explains the pros and cons of the different designs, and explains how to optimize the stocks’ adjustments for best fit and function. German also explains the best methods to attach and bed an action to each of the designs.
CLICK HERE to Read Full Story by Salazar
For a limited time, German’s excellent article is available online, courtesy of Precision Shooting Magazine. If you’re a highpower shooter, or you are interested in the design, construction, and engineering of modern competition stocks, this article is a “must-read”.
April 24th, 2009
 The 2009 update of the CMP Competition Rules for Service Pistol, Service Rifle, and As-Issued Military Rifle is now available online. The 13th edition (2009) CMP Competition Rules can be downloaded (for free) from the CMP website. Printed copies of the rulebook may also be purchased for $3.00 each from CMP Competitions, P. O. Box 576, Port Clinton, OH 43452.
CLICK HERE to download 2009 CMP Updated Rules.
In the downloadable file, all 2009 rule changes are underlined so they can be identified. The CMP has also posted an article summarizing the key 2009 rule changes.
Important CMP Rule Changes for Garands
One significant 2009 rule change stems from the CMP’s continued commitment to start rapid-fire stages from standing. Until this year, NRA range procedures could be used in CMP matches, but now that the NRA has eliminated the requirement to start rapid-fire stages from standing, NRA range procedures can no longer be used. As a result, the CMP had to develop its own rules, range procedures and commands. Thus, a foundation requirement in the CMP rifle rules (Rules 8.1.5 and 9.1.10) is that competitors must start all rapid-fire stages from standing.
There is also a new required procedure for Garand shooters in the rapid fire stage. Shooters may still load while standing. However, competitors are required to push down the rounds in the clip and CLOSE their BOLT over an empty chamber before dropping from standing to prone. When targets rise from the pits (or the command TARGETS is given), shooters must drop down into position, then cycle the bolts on their rifles to chamber their first round and begin the rapid-fire stage. The goal here is to “to completely eliminate any possibility of a shooter moving from standing to the firing position with a round in the chamber.”
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| NEW GARAND Rapid-Fire LOADING PROCEDURE. Competitors with M1 Garands must “close bolts on an empty chamber” by: 1) inserting the clip and 2 rounds in the magazine; 2) pressing the clip and 2 rounds all the way down to release the operating rod; and 3) allowing the bolt to over-ride the top round, so the bolt closes on an empty chamber. The bolt may not be cycled to load the first round in the chamber until after the competitor is down in position. |
The 2009 updated Rules also provide new guidelines for the Garand Unlimited class. CMP Games rifle categories (Rule 6.4.1) now include an Unlimited Garand category for shooters with National Match, .308, commercial and glass-bedded Garands. NOTE: The National John C. Garand Match at Camp Perry will have both As-Issued and Unlimited Garand categories.
April 24th, 2009
 In The First Shot (the CMP’s Online Magazine), Sgt. Walter E. Craig of the USAMU discusses physical conditioning for competitive shooters, particularly High Power competitors. In the article, Craig advocates: 1) weight training to strengthen the Skeletal Muscle System; 2) exercises to build endurance and stamina; and 3) cardiovascular conditioning programs to allow the shooter to remain relaxed with a controlled heart beat.
Sgt. Craig explains: “An individual would not enter a long distance race without first spending many hours conditioning his/her body. One should apply the same conditioning philosophy to the sport of shooting. Physical conditioning to improve shooting skills will result in better shooting performance…. The objective of an individual physical training program is to condition the muscles, heart, and lungs thereby increasing the shooter’s capability of controlling the body and rifle for sustained periods.”
In addition to weight training and cardio workouts (which can be done in a gym), Sgt. Craig advocates “some kind of holding drill… to develop the muscles necessary for holding a rifle for extended periods.” For those with range access, Craig recommends a blind standing exercise: “This exercise consists of dry-firing one round, then live-firing one round, at a 200-yard standard SR target. For those who have access only to a 100-yard range, reduced targets will work as well. Begin the exercise with a timer set for 50 minutes. Dry-fire one round, then fire one live round and without looking at the actual impact, plot a call in a data book. Continue the dry fire/live fire sequence for 20 rounds, plotting after each round. After firing is complete, compare the data book to the target. If your zero and position are solid, the plots should resemble the target. As the training days add up and your zero is refined, the groups will shrink and move to the center.”
CLICK HERE to READ FULL ARTICLE
April 21st, 2009
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution restricts the powers of state and local government as much as it does those of the federal government. A three-judge panel issued this ruling in Nordyke v. King (Alameda County). This is the first case where a Circuit Court has declared that the actions of states or municipalities are subject to the Second Amendment protections recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court in D.C. v Heller last year. (Other cases challenging state action on Second Amendment grounds are pending before the Seventh Circuit.)
In finding that the Second Amendment applies to actions of States, counties, and local municipalities, the 9th Circuit applied the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. The Circuit Court concluded “that the right to keep and bear arms” as a personal right has been recognized by the Supreme Court in Heller, and that this applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause.
 In Nordyke v. King, the plaintiffs challenged an Alameda County ordinance that effectively prevented plaintiffs from holding a gun show at the Alameda Fairgrounds. Though the 9th Circuit acknowledged the existence of rights under the Second Amendment, the three-judge panel concluded that D.C. v. Heller was limited in scope, and only recognized a right of “armed self-defense in the home”. Accordingly, the Ninth Circuit ruled against plaintfiffs, and upheld the Alameda County ordinance, which banned possession of guns “on county property.” Disturbingly, the Ninth Circuit ruling attempts to carve out a “public property” exception to the Second Amendment. The Nordyke v. King opinion states that a gun ban on county property: “fits within the exception from the Second Amendment for ‘sensitive places’ that Heller recognized.”
We’re not certain that the U.S. Supreme Court would agree with the Ninth Circuit’s holding that a fairground was a ‘sensitive place’ where the Second Amendment, effectively, has no sway. If a state or county can ban guns at a fairground, then why not public parks, parking lots, bus stops and so on? This could lead to cities and counties declaring extensive “gun-free zones” within their boundaries. Ironically, public places such as parking lots may be exactly where citizens are most at risk of violent crime. And ask yourself this… what other Constitutional rights are geographically limited? Would a court dare to restrict the First Amendment so as to eliminate the right of free speech on public property?
CLICK HERE to Read Full 9th Circuit Decision (.pdf download).
April 18th, 2009
 NRA-approved gunsmithing courses are conducted at four locations across the country. There is still time to sign up for most of the 2008 courses, which run in May through August. Classes offered at Lassen Community College in Susanville, CA include Law Enforcement Armorers’ School Classes for AR15s and Precision Rifles, an M1/M1A Accurizing Seminar, plus courses in Single-Action Revolver Tuning, Knifemaking, Engraving, and Metallic Cartridge Reloading. Trinidad State College in Colorado classes include Metal Finishing/Blueing, Blue-Printing Bolt Actions, Stockmaking, Accurizing AR15s, tuning 10/22 ‘Raceguns’, plus smithing for Airguns. Montgomery Community College in Troy, NC offers classes in Bolt Action Accurizing, AR15 Accurizing, Engraving, Stock Checkering, and Welding for Gunsmiths. Among the many classes at Murray State College in Tishomingo, OK, are Basic Lathe Operation, M1/M1A Accurizing, Rifle Re-barreling, Shotgun Repair, and Air Rifle Accurizing. For more info, log on to the NRA Gunsmithing School site. College information offices and current summer schedules can be found at MidwayUSA’s Gunsmithing School page. We know two people who completed Armorers’ classes at Lassen CC. They reported the program was excellent. Photo courtesy MidwayUSA.com.
Lassen C.C. | Trinidad St. | Murray St. | Montgomery C.C.
April 16th, 2009
Have you seen those motivational posters on the walls of corporate offices? Well here’s a free web tool that lets you make your own motivational artwork. Simply upload a photo from your computer, type in a title and message line, and the automatic poster-maker from Bighugelabs.com does the rest. You can customize borders and fonts if you wish.
CLICK HERE to make your own Motivational Poster.
The poster above features the late Jef Fowler’s remarkable world-record 0.1500″, 5-target (25-shot), 100-yard LV Aggregate. (That’s right, the official measurement was exactly 0.1500″.) Using his own custom bullets, Jef shot this Agg with a 6PPC at Roanoke, Virginia in June, 1994. These five targets established a new NBRSA 100-yard Light Varmint World Record that still stands today, 15 years later. Sadly, Jef has passed away, but Fowler Bullets are now produced by Scheider Accuracy in Beaufort, SC, (843) 522-3651.
April 14th, 2009
We all know that gun and ammo sales have risen dramatically in recent months. Firearms sales through large retailers are up 39% compared to last year, according to SportsOneSource, a company that provides research for the outdoor industry.
 What may be surprising is that there is a “new audience” of Americans who are buying firearms for the first time. Gun vendors are reporting a major increase in firearm purchases by novice shooters and first-time gun-owners. According to a recent article on the Time Magazine website, Americans who have never owned a gun before are now motivated to arm themselves: “A new market of gun buyers is emerging. [Oklahoma Gunshop owner] Miles Hall estimates that some 80% of his sales since the election have been to first- and second-time gun purchasers, many nervous that this may be their last chance.” According to the Time article, many Americans are purchasing firearms due to fears that crime may rise as the economy falters: “Americans are afraid of this economy. As a result, they’re getting locked and loaded.”
In sporting goods stores nationwide, and on internet gun forums, people are wondering “where has all the ammo gone?” Well, based on the sales of firearms, the answer may be that ammo supplies are being snapped up by the same folks who are buying guns for the first time.
April 14th, 2009
Some of our forum members have observed issues with the Acculab VIC-123, an 0.001g precision electronic balance made by Sartorius. (The Denver Instrument MXX-123 is very similar.) The two main complaints seem to be sensitivity to drafts, and instability of zero, causing weight read-outs to “drift” over time. We have seen the latter problem in less expensive scales such as the PACT. (Read PACT report).
 Forum member Ronemus, who lists his profession as “instrumentation scientist”, offers the following advice:
“It is necessary to isolate the scale from drafts and vibrations. Laboratory scales with this sort of resolution (.001g) generally have a housing around the pan with sliding doors for access and vibration isolators in the feet. Those scales cost thousands of dollars, and some features must be cut to reach a price we’re willing to pay. Unfortunately, the instruction manuals accompanying our scales generally aren’t very good at spelling out the steps necessary to have them operate to our satisfaction.
A small draft (one you can barely feel) can easily shift the reading a few tenths of a grain, so some sort of enclosure is needed. I use a cardboard file box with one end cut out, so 3 sides and the top remain, and that’s good enough for 0.1 gr (6 mg) stability; however, that may not be sufficient for 0.01 gr.
For stable zeros it’s necessary to warm up for at least a few hours (they’re generally left on continuously to avoid drift) and keep the room temperature fairly constant (within a few degrees).
Inexpensive scales are also susceptible to electrical noise, either riding the power line or through the air. Power line noise can be eliminated with a good filtered power strip (I recommend a Tripp-Lite Iso-Bar), not just a surge suppressor. Cordless and cell phones, fluorescent lights, wireless computer networks, baby monitors, etc. can cause problems at short range, so they should be kept away from the scale as much as possible.”
We have also observed that these scales MUST be properly leveled. They just won’t work right if they are tilted even a litte bit. This editor recently worked with an Acculab VIC-123. Its owner was complaining that it would drift and the read-out was constantly flickering. Well the scale was mounted on a plastic folding table with a top that was warped and bowed in the middle. It was virtually impossible to level the scale properly. The scale was also directly under a large ventilation fan. Once we transfered the scale to a bench with a solid flat surface, leveled the scale front to rear AND side to side, and ensured the scale was isolated from air currents, the scale worked perfectly.
April 12th, 2009
 We wish you have the chance to spend this Easter Sunday with your family and loved ones. Perhaps take the time to contemplate the blessings we all have, despite the many challenges in today’s world. In Christian theology, this day marks resurrection and rebirth.
For all of us, regardless of creed, this day carries a message of hope and the possibility of a better future. In his Easter Sunday message from the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI declared: “At a time of world food shortage, of financial turmoil, of old and new forms of poverty, of disturbing climate change,… of growing fears over the future, it is urgent to rediscover grounds for hope.”
April 11th, 2009
 From June 5-7, the Original Pennsylvania 1000 Yard Club will host a multi-day, long-range benchrest school at its Williamsport range. For $200, up to 36 students will enjoy 1 night and 2 days of intensive training under the tutelage of some of the nations’ top 1000-yard shooters. On Friday night (June 5th), students will meet their mentors, including school director Frank Grappone, and will work on informal “homework” assignments.
Saturday morning (June 6th), the class moves to the range for a full day of hands-on technical training. Topics will include precision reloading, load development, gun handling, use of chronograph, analysis of shooting results, gun cleaning, and target analysis. The Williamsport Club will provide the rifles, plus all reloading components–powder, primers, and bullets. Saturday’s training sessions are followed by a steak dinner, included in the $200 seminar price.
On Sunday (June 7th), after an early training session covering bench set-up and match strategies, students will participate in a 1000-yard match, spending time both behind the trigger and in the pits. Instructors will explain how to read conditions, and will demonstrate target measuring and analysis after the relays. The program will wrap up before 4:00 pm on Sunday.
The 1000-yard Benchrest School is limited to 36 students. Gunsmiths Bruce Baer and Mark King, and many Williamsport Hall of Fame shooters will provide instruction. There should be no more than three students per advisor. Over the course of the weekend, trainees will receive 14-16 hours of quality “hands-on” instruction, plus actual match shooting time. This program is designed for novice to intermediate shooters. For more info, email School Director Frank Grappone, frankgrappone [at] sbcglobal.net.
Act soon, if you want to attend — the sign-up deadline is June 1st. Available slots are mostly filled already. If you’re interested, don’t delay — the classes fill up quickly.
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